1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coating compositions for use in the production of printed circuit boards by the additive process.
2. Prior Art
There have heretofore been proposed printed circuit boards formed by disposing conductive circuit patterns on insulating substrates or base plates by the additive process. These known circuit boards find wide application to parts for use with electrical facilities and equipment. In the manufacture of the printed circuit boards, coating compositions consisting essentially of acrylonitrile/butadiene rubbers, phenolic resins and epoxy resins are applied on to insulating base plates made such as of an epoxy or imide resin or a ceramic material. After being cured or semi-cured, the coated plates on their surfaces are made hydrophilic or coarse with a mixture of chromic acid and sulfuric acid, followed by catalytic action with palladium chloride or the like. The plates are protected at portions where no circuit patterns are required, by photographic masking with use of a photosensitive lacquer, i.e. by photoresist formation with use of a screen printing technique. The plates so masked are electroless-plated at portions where printed circuitry is desired and subsequently dried.
Such prior art compositions, however, are encountered with blistering on the plated surfaces and also with reduced heat resistance at soldering. To cope with these problems, the compositions have been combined with silica as disclosed for instance in Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-31539 or with a filler such as clay. Silica has been found to be totally unsatisfactory in respect of heat resistance at soldering. In the meantime, clay causes, depending upon the conditions of etching, reduced blister resistance and insufficient heat resistance particularly in the case of glass-epoxy substrates. This has created an urgent need for improved coating compositions which are capable of giving printed circuit boards with good physical properties.